After having fantastic nursing afternoon yesterday with great latching and no soreness, baby E took a whiplash inducing 180 and wouldn't nurse with any type of suction in the evening or through the night. I just don't get it!
He would show signs of wanting to eat by rooting but then would simply soothe himself instead of eating. At first I wanted to give him a bottle because I don't want my babe go hungry! (Yes, I'm a sucker.) However, my hubby pointed out that he knows where to eat and how to do it. If he is hungry, he'll latch on and eat. So we gave him his pacifier to help him soothe himself (instead of making me sore) and put him back down. He happily went back to sleep. I passed out eventually but remained worried and frustrated.
He did the same thing this morning but eventually ate for about ten minutes during each session.
I'm trying not to freak out about this change....ideas?
xoxo
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
you are doing the right thing. Keep offering the boob! you are doing awesome and he will chow down when he is really hungry! i promise! how is he doing this afternoon and evening?
ReplyDeleteYou are doing great, and he would be a mess if he was hungry, so all is well for now. Keep an eye on his weight if you are worried. As long as he gains all is well.
ReplyDeleteI have no personal experience with breast feeding, but I read that the milk that comes at the beginning of a feed (foremilk?) is "thin" and the milk near the end (hind milk) is nice and fatty. And that sometimes if a baby is thirsty he'll be happy to just have a few sucks to hydrate, without needing to filled up with the hind milk. Hope this gets easier!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your hubby and the PPs. He is likely just trying to soothe himself with your boobs. And it's true, he does know how to eat and has proven that to you. So he'll eat when he gets hungry. Little babies can be frustrating when you're nursing. Mine was attached to my boob at least 12 out of every 24 hours for a loooong time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the rooting thing happens ALL THE TIME when they're little, even sometimes when they're not that hungry. It will happen when they just want to suck. It's tricky with the rooting, because we're taught that rooting=hunger, but that's not always true. It's a reflex.
If you do decide to give formula that's absolutely your call. But your little guy sounds like a bit of a stinker:) He sounds like a baby who would get used to the "easiness" of bottle feeding as compared to breastfeeding and then might refuse the boob afterward. So it just depends on how much you want the BFing thing to work out and how desperate you are to have a little more ownership over your boobs:) Just a thought. You should always follow your own mama instincts, though.
I agree with everyone - also, we did pacifiers as well and it really did help. Our babies rooted a lot more than when they were hungry -they still do quite often! They'll root just to move sometimes and when they want their paci's as well.
ReplyDeleteWe also scheduled our babies right away - they eat every 4 hours and have since we got home from the hospital. They've never freakedout b/c they were hungry - they know the routine. Also, we go through spells where they won't eat (or will eat a small amount) - I'm of the mindset that if they're hungry, they'll eat and if they don't eat this time, they'll probably be hungry by next time....
Hey! The car seat things are JJ Cole "Bundle Me"'s - LOVE them! They're a bit expensive, but definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteOur sweetie refused a pacifier but now that she is 4 1/2 months old girl, SHE FINALLY HAS NURSING DOWN GOOD! I agree with everyone, just give it time! Dont' give up! I TOTALLY feel you though! I was in tears many a night thinking she needed a bottle but only actually gave her one ONCE! HUGS!
ReplyDelete